Education Programs

PRESERVING THE SPIRIT: AGUA CALIENTE LIVING TRADITIONS

Living Traditions Classes

Living Traditions classes for adults and children offer hands-on experiences with Native crafts such as basketry, pottery, musical instrument making, fry bread cooking, mineral pigment making, gourd art, and pine needle weaving. Admission is free for Museum members.

Spirit Keepers Lectures

Spirit Keepers lectures focus on Native American history and the culture of tribes in the Coachella Valley and other parts of the western United States. Admission is free.

Kids Explore! Classes

Enjoy such activities such as creating a reed basket, making a Najajo sand painting, playing California Indian games...and so much more! In the Kids Explore! summer classes, children ages 5-12 learn while having fun.  Kids Explore! classes are free.

Community Outreach Activities

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum offers a variety of educational community outreach activities for school groups and community organizations.

Museum Tours

Tours of the Museum include a guided interpretation of permanent and seasonal exhibitions, the story of the Cahuilla Indians and their adaptation to the mountain and desert environments, and the art of Cahuilla basketry and pottery. Tours are limited to 30 participants. Length of tour is dependent upon group size and specific interests.

Canyon Hikes

Guided cultural hikes for school groups feature an easy-to-moderate one-mile loop of beautiful Andreas Canyon. Hike commentary includes information on the natural resources and cultural heritage of the site, with a visit to a replica of an ancestral village of the Cahuilla people. Plants, animals, and the landscape are discussed to provide a context for understanding how natural resources were used in daily desert life. Artifact replicas of common tools are also used to illustrate aspects of Cahuilla culture. Hikes take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours depending upon topic focus and size of group.

School Classroom Presentations

Focusing on Cahuilla adaptations to desert and mountain environments, community outreach to groups explore topics such as shelter, clothing, hunting, food gathering and processing, and the use of tools. Presentations are tailored to focus on the specific areas of interest of each participating school, civic organization, and not-for-profit group. Replicated artifacts and a 15-minute audiovisual program that depicts the traditions and customs of Cahuilla culture may be included in these 45-minute presentations.   

Library and Archives Research Opportunities

The library and archives of the Museum house a growing collection of materials on Native cultures, with a special emphasis on the Agua Caliente Band's history and Cahuilla culture. More than 3,000 book titles, a Cahuilla reference collection, and finding aids to archival collections are available to the public by appointment Monday through Friday. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 760.833.8171.

Special Cultural Events

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum present the artistry of Native performers, filmmakers, actors, and writers. Special cultural events produced by the Museum feature Native storytelling, high-energy traditional bird singing and dancing, and a five-day film festival that showcases films by, about, and starring Native Americans and other indigenous people.

For information about the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Education Department please call 760.833.8169

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